The present invention is directed to improved plant/vine support of the type wherein a post is driven into the ground and the plant supports are cantelever supported from the stake or post. There have been a number of efforts in the past to provide such plant/vine support. In Orthman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,731,429, a plurality of ring assemblies are provided each ring assemblu having a plurality of of rings of different diameters secured in frustroconical shape and a "T" shaped post is utilized with shoulders on the post cooperating with holes on a bracket secured to the ring assemblies so as to support the ring assemblies in cantelever fashion from the cross of the "T" shaped post. While adequate support is provided by this type of assembly, it is complex and the rings cannot be easily stacked or shipped and can interengage, entangle and lock with another making re use a time consuming and expensive problem. In Barnhart, U.S. Pat. No. 2,152,018, a stake or post has a pair of struck out prongs or fingers which engage an annular ring 3 which has a pair of inwardly projecting prongs so as to butt against the standard member of the post. In Peterson U.S. Pat. No. 2,851,823, an adjustable plant support is disclosed wherein a circular post has a friction locking element thereon and an opening or slot in the locking element into which a downwardly projecting loop on an annular ring is inserted to provide an adjustable support. In Worthington, U.S. Pat. No. 2,764,846, a post is disclosed as having pivoted thereon annular rings which have a downwardly projecting hoop member which serves as a stop for each ring. In Effley's U.S. Pat. No. 1,627,495, the annular loop or ring has a downwardly projecting arm which has a prong formed at the end thereof which is inserted into one of a plurality of holes in the post to provide for height adjustment. Stanley's U.S. Pat. No. 1,627,803 discloses a ring with a screw clamp for adjusably positioning the ring on the post.
According to this invention, in a first embodiment, the post, which is similar to the conventional garden fence posting, is provided with wider than normal flanges into which are formed locking lug pairs. An oppositely opening locking lug is formed in the "U" of the U-shaped portion of the post. The continuous ring or loop is provided with a coplanar U-shaped section which fits inside the U of the U-shaped post to engage the underside of the locking lug therein. In a second embodiment the parts are reversed. The advantages of this invention are that all parts of the ring are coplanar, (in a single plane) and very thin and are far less susceptible of entanglements making it easlier to store and making it easier to engage and disengage the rings from the post. In addition, in this case, bracing is provided by the locking lugs in the lateral flanges and a pair of indentations on the interior of the legs of the U which bear against the undersides of the legs of the U shaped section of the ring member.
In a further embodiment, the U of the post is inside of the U of the ring and the locking lugs are in the legs and base of the U but project from the exterior surface thereof. The post may also be a V-shaped channel member. In all embodiments the ring and all parts thereof are substantially coplanar.